On a beautiful morning, Lian Xi woke up excited, already preparing to accomplish his goal for the day: to visit an antique shop and see if he could find something interesting to buy.
This had been his hobby ever since he discovered the existence of cultivators—powerful beings capable of walking through the sky, destroying mountains, and even grabbing stars.
As a reincarnated person, he harbored a small hope of finding a hidden treasure, even though he knew that was almost impossible.
Lian Xi wasn't a lucky person; his life had nothing to do with the lucky sons he read about in web novels.
He was the son of a merchant and a doctor who loved him deeply, and his life had always been peaceful and full of comfort. There were no young masters or glorious challenges in his town. Everyone treated each other like friends, and the city lord was just and kind.
"Let's go!" Lian Xi put on his simple white robe and went down to the kitchen, where he found his parents sitting on bamboo chairs.
His father, Lian Zhou, sat in the first chair. With brown hair that fell to his neck and dark eyes, he had a scar on the left side of his face, which he claimed to have gotten on a hunting trip in the mountains after defeating a red bear.
This old man liked to brag about this every time he sat at the table. He wore a red robe embroidered with the bear's pelt, claiming it served to scare off bandits while he worked in the trade.
His mother, Lian Mei, was very different. Lian Xi still wondered how his father had managed to win the heart of such a beautiful woman.
She had silky black hair, an oval face without a single scar, and eyes that shone like rubies. She wore a white lab coat, a symbol of her profession as a doctor, and worked at the only clinic in the City of Red Flowers.
Lian Xi smiled when he saw them. He thought he was quite handsome, taking after his mother's looks. If he had to complain about something, he'd say that maybe he looked a bit too effeminate...
With long, black hair that gently fell down his back, dark eyes like his father's, and a delicate face, he attracted curious glances from many women.
"Going to buy artifacts again, boy?" His father asked, taking a sip of tea and letting out a hot breath.
Lian Xi didn't answer, just covered his nose. "Old man, close your mouth, your breath is strong."
If he knew how to make toothpaste, he surely would have created a recipe to help his father, but unfortunately, he didn't know where to start.
"You…" Lian Zhou, hearing his son's teasing, felt his face burn with anger and looked at his wife, expecting her to correct Lian Xi.
"Xi is right, dear, but don't worry. Thanks to one of his ideas, I was able to develop a recipe that eliminates bad breath." Lian Mei said, smiling as she looked at her husband.
"You're amazing, Mom!" Lian Xi exclaimed, surprised. He had only joked about the toothpaste, and his mother had already come up with something functional.
Smiling, Lian Xi grabbed the teapot on the table and poured tea into a cup. When he brought it to his mouth, he realized the flavor was different from what he was used to. The tea had an explosion of unusual flavors.
"Mom, is this some kind of new tea?" He asked, savoring the drink.
"Yes," replied Lian Mei. "Since it's your birthday, I decided to innovate with a special blend. It includes various herbs, some bitter, some sweet, that balance out to create this unique flavor."
Lian Xi, hearing this, felt even more admiration for his mother. If he were on Earth, she would surely be a successful businesswoman, with so many innovative ideas.
As he drank the tea, a golden screen appeared before his eyes. At first, he thought it was just his imagination, given his focus on the taste of the tea, and ignored it, believing it would disappear soon. However, the screen remained.
[Happy birthday, host. I can't give you a good gift, but I can activate a system.]
[Introduction]
[Since no women have ascended in thousands of years, the Celestial Dao considers this unjust. As a form of justice, we have chosen someone to train capable women.]
[Future Empresses Teaching System Activated.]
Lian Xi, surprised, choked on the tea, which splashed randomly, hitting his father's face.
"LIANNN XIIIII!" Lian Zhou shouted angrily, standing up and starting to hit him.
"Sorry, old man, it was unintentional! Be gentle, it's my birthday today!" Lian Xi begged, trying to dodge the blows, but feeling the pain as his father beat him.
Seeing that his father wouldn't stop, he looked at his mother.
"Stop, Zhou." Lian Mei said calmly, standing up from her chair.
Lian Zhou, fearing his wife, immediately stopped and returned to his seat, grabbing a cloth to wipe his face.
"Old man." Lian Xi murmured, but quickly fell silent when he saw his mother's serious expression. She no longer looked so happy.
"Lian Xi," said his mother, in a soft tone, "the tea I prepared with so much care, did you really have to throw it away like that?"
"No, Mom, your tea is the best in the world! I just remembered a joke from Gin Yang, you know, that funny fat guy?" Lian Xi tried to change the subject, not knowing how to deal with the strange system that appeared before him.
'Teach Empresses?' he thought, confused. What did this mean? Was he now a teacher for women? It didn't sound so bad... in fact, it seemed interesting.
Because his dream of becoming immortal seemed closer now, and that excited him. Not for any other reason, he was a pure young man... definitely.
His mother, hearing his words, seemed to calm down a bit. "Don't think about it during the meal, now is the time to enjoy family time."
"Yes, Mom, you're right." Lian Xi smiled, with a pure grin, as if he had just received a new toy.
My life is starting, he thought. Future Empresses, your master is coming to teach you...
Wait, how the hell am I going to teach someone? I don't have any techniques! I'm just a mortal!
-...-
[Initial System Functions Unlocked]
Fuse and enhance any cultivation technique.
Remove imperfections from the human body and elevate it to its perfect state.
Unlock new functions in the future.
[DING! CURRENTLY, ONLY THE FIRST FUNCTION IS UNLOCKED. TO UNLOCK THE SECOND, YOU MUST ACCEPT YOUR FIRST DISCIPLE.]
NO NEED TO RUSH, WE'LL DO EVERYTHING IN THE HOST'S TIME.
---
'A system that doesn't pressure the host? That's really good, I don't want to become a slave.' Lian Xi smiled, his fate now only dependent on him—he would be a good master, only time would tell.